When it comes to preparing for college dorm life, there are a lot of essentials.  From twin XL sheets and comforters, to college seating and shower totes, you’ve either got it or it’s already on your checklist.  You’re a savvy shopper and you have all the necessary dorm stuff covered…or do you?

initiating the gallery...

Dear Residents,

Now that your boxes are unpacked and you’ve begun sneakily drinking and smoking illegal substances in your rooms, I feel it is time we had a little chat. There are a few things that we need to get clear right now so that we can all happily coexist for the remainder of the year.

I’d discuss all this in a hall meeting but it seems damn near impossible to find a time that works for everyone (even though we all agreed to that one time and then only 9 of you showed…awesome), so I’ll do it here instead. Lord knows you spend most of your day reading online anyway….

So here goes:

1.  I am NOT out to get you in trouble. In fact, I do everything I can to help you not get in trouble, because it makes my life easier. Every single time that I have to write somebody up for quiet hours violations, drinking in the dorms, or whatever stupid rule is being broken, that instantly translates to extra paperwork that I have to do. Plus, let’s face it (for the most part) I like my residents, and I don’t want to make your life any harder either. Not to mention that I don’t agree with these rules any more than you do. Seriously, why in the world should someone be sent to judicial for playing their music a little too loudly at night?! That’s bulls**t in my opinion, but I’m not the one who made the rules – I just got stuck enforcing them as part of my job. Read More »

Going to college is so much more than hauling your butt out of bed before noon on a Friday to sit in the back of a lecture hall and attempt the daily Sudoku. In order to even be considered for a job in this economy, students are expected to pull great grades, take on multiple leadership roles on campus and still manage to avoid going completely broke (not to mention swing awesome summer internships).

Whew. Just thinking about it makes me sweat.
And then thinking of all those craptastic jobs out there makes me ill. I don’t want to waste my precious free time flipping burgers or folding clothes at The Gap.

If you’re looking to inch ahead of your classmates and line your pockets with a little beer money, we’ve got your back. Below is our guide to the best on-campus jobs. Whether they pay big bucks, offer flexible hours that don’t conflict with your social life, or give you plenty of free time to do your homework, these are the gigs worth fighting (and giving up your afternoons) for. Read More »

Freshman year is an incredible experience. For many, it’s the first taste of Keystone freedom, the first foray into frat parties out into the world. You‘ll drink with meet people from all walks of life. You’ll quickly wonder how you ever survived without your newfound friends.

But be warned: for every awesome new friend that you make, you’ll find yourself face to face with an enemy. Not a “sleep with one eye open” enemy; more like a “OMG I want to gouge out my eyes whenever you come near me” type.

Here are my personal picks for people to avoid: Read More »

"No, dad, I do not want the desk in the middle of the room."

It’s the start of a new school year and to honor that, we at CollegeCandy are bringing back our favorite series “We’ve All Been There.” Every week, Lauren – University of Michigan will comment on the common experiences all college women share, including some new ones thrown into the mix.

After a long drive and an even longer wait to get a prime spot by the curb, you get out of the car (where you were pressed between the door and a chest of plastic drawers for the past three hours) and start unloading your life onto the sidewalk. Sweaty students circle you, maneuvering their university-supplied dolly around your growing pile of stuff, while “Move-in Makers” (or older students who were clearly roped into this by their student organization) rush towards you and offer to help.

You pile your first load onto the flat bed, load your mom up with the lighter stuff (like your laptop and backpack) and make your first trip into the dorm while your dad sits outside to “watch your stuff”/take a moment to breathe and work off the road rage.

You check in, get your keys, then follow one of the helpers to the elevator. When an empty one finally arrives, you elbow your way in, rolling over yours/everyone else’s toes in the process. You push the button for your floor and stand awkwardly close to a complete stranger holding a microwave until the door opens on your floor. Read More »

THIS CONTEST IS OVER. Tear.

As we speak (type? read?), freshmen across the country are moving into dorms for the very first time. Woooo! (Don’t forget your flip flops!) We wanted to help them out by providing some basic rules to dorm life (that won’t be covered in the first floor meeting). In order to reach as many freshmen possible, we not only posted this very blog, but we also sent our writers out on foot to flier dorms from coast to coast and help spread the word. That is, assuming they didn’t get caught and assaulted by an R.A. first….

So what are the 5 unofficial rules to dorm living?

We’ve got 4 right here and we’re looking at you (yeah, you!) to tell us #5. Why would you do that? Well, besides just being a generally nice person and doing something out of the goodness of your heart, how about doing it for $200 worth of textbooks at CampusBookRentals.com?

Yeah, we’re pretty nice, right?. So read (and adhere to) our 4 rules and then add your own. We’ll randomly select a winner September 10, 2010 and announce the results on Twitter and Facebook. Read More »

In the coming days, a whole new batch of freshmen will be arriving on campus.  Their rented mini-vans will clog the parking lots, their wide-eyed gazes and slow feet will make getting to class that much more miserable.  Forget drinking during those first weeks if you’re underage.  Police will be waiting in the bushes for these dummies to come outside holding a telltale red solo cup, and you don’t want to get caught in the crossfire.

When you devote your walk to class thinking of all the ways you hate the new lanyard-toting campus population, remember that you too were once wondering the difference between north and south campus.    And while all freshmen eventually learn the lay of the land, making your life easier, they’re strapped with a couple problems that are harder to shake.  A couple problems named Mom and Dad.

As an upperclassman, your parents have probably learned the ropes by now.  They call when they know you’re going to be sober, and you call when you need your debit card refilled.  The youngins, on the other hand, have yet to teach their folks these difficult lessons.  Forget that they have to deal with Mom checking in at 7:30 on a hungover Sunday morning.  First they’ve got to get the parentals to actually leave. Read More »

It’s that time of year again.  Yep, the time when suddenly it’s the end of August and you are stuck on your bed staring at all of shiz you need to pack into boxes for another successful (and sometimes difficult) year in college.  You get slightly excited for another year to pummel you in the face with good times and countless hours in the lib.  Can you feel it? Your insides tighten, your liver shrivels and shivers and your eyes twinkle. It’s a beautiful thing. Are those goosebumps?

Yes, it’s time to be ready for the school year. It’s time to start packing and gaining ultimate pre-college essentials to give you a chance for an easy ride through the first semester.  Alright CollegeCandy chickas, nurse those excited pangs of pain desire in your liver – we (with a little help from our college blogging friends) are going to get you ready for school!

* Before you even pack up the car, make sure that you don’t forget those necessary items that everyone always forgets to pack.

* Ok, I’m going to be the one to put it out there – I wasn’t much of a ‘laundry-pro’ going into college. I’m not kidding, can I say on here that I Googled ‘how to separate colors’ before doing my very first load? Yeah, embarrassing. Allow me to protect your Google history: here are some things you can think about in regards to doin’ the dirty laundry pile.

* Before I went off to college, shoved in between a thick pile of clothes and a dresser in my dad’s truck, I would have paid a fortune to have a 100+ list full of things to know in regards to college. Here’s the dream realized, free of charge.

* Come finals week, this list will be pasted to your forehead. Read More »

Remember how shocked your grandmother was when you told her you were living in coed dorms?

Well get ready to give her a heart attack, because at schools like Brandeis, students get to vote on whether they want their hall bathrooms to be single-sex or coed. We’re all for spending as much time with boys as possible, but there are some times (read: when you’re pooping) that you just don’t want the bros around.

So I gotta know:

Would you rather have single-sex bathrooms or coed bathrooms?

Things to consider: Shower “fun,” #2 (you and them), divulging all your “get ready” secrets.

Vote and tell us why below.

College: a time of growing up, trying new things, and, of course, meeting new people. From the bitchy girl in Chem class to the hot guy from a frat party, freshman year brings a slew of different characters. While no two people share quite the same college experience, there are a few archetypal personalities that, without a doubt, can be found on a freshman floor. Read More »